Feast of the Dead (Long Version)
by SlytherinsFlower317
Summary: When faced with the severity of the damage caused by the war, Headmistress McGonagall turns to an old Pureblood ritual to give the survivors a final visit with their fallen loved ones. Features the stories of Harry&Teddy Lupin&Marauders&Lily Evans Fred&George Weasley; Colin&Dennis Creevey. Warning: All the feels!
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: Unless you're really new to fanfiction, you know what this is. I promise I'm not Rowling and I'm_ _not trying to pretend to be cause then I'd have to live with the fact I killed Remus and Fred and I just couldn't handle_ _that. So to be clear, all her characters and whatnot remain hers. I just like to borrow her toys now and again._

 _AN: I honestly intended to get this out way faster, I swear! It's been done, minus the epilogue, for months now, but_ _Teddy just doesn't want to work for me. As such, I'm marking it as completed until such time as he starts cooperating_ _with me again. Those Marauder genetics mean he enjoys tormenting me. This first chapter is pretty much the same_ _as the oneshot version. I just really felt like it was a great set-up already and let it be. Enjoy!_

The portrait looked on sadly as the woman in front of him sat slumped over her desk with her head cradled forlornly in her hands. She looked up with an obvious sheen to her eyes that would have surprised any who knew her, for Minerva McGonagall was not a woman who cried easily. Though the war had ended over a year ago its damage was still plainly visible in the eyes of its survivors, but few more so than the Headmistress of Hogwarts. It seems that every day the toll on her grew as she was forced to see the lasting pain and agony the war had left behind on her students faces with no idea how to help them. One can only bear the pain for so long and it seemed that today was when the Headmistress could take it no longer.

Looking around the room at her assembled predecessors she lost yet more of her carefully crafted control and implored them, "There must be some magic, some way to help them move on from this pain! They are only children and shouldn't have to live like this! If you, with all your assembled knowledge and accomplishments, cannot help me then find me someone who can!" Several of the portraits protested the disrespectful tone of the new Headmistress, but most only looked on with pity in their eyes.

One portrait from the corner of the room called out to her gruffly, "There may yet be a way but the question, _Headmistress_ ", he spat the word with a mocking tone she was far from unaccustomed to hearing from him, "It's just a question of what magics you're willing to use in order to achieve it."

Minerva turned sharply and, in a cutting tone that had made many a troublemaker cower in her years of teaching, snarled, "I have no time for your games, Phineas! If you have something of use to say, for **once** , I demand you to spit it out lest I move your portrait to the Muggle Studies classroom! I know how much you miss teaching!"

The portrait of Phineas Black looked affronted at such disrespect but seemed to think better of pushing the Headmistress any farther at the moment. Merlin only knew what horrors he would have to suffer through should she follow through with her threat.

With a disgruntled sigh he asked, "What do you know of the Feast of the Dead ritual?"


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: The polyjuice isn't ready yet so alas I must remind you that none of these characters are mine, just the_ _stories I make them act out for us._

 _A/N: Remember that warning about "feels" I put in the summary? Yeah, be ready for that. I wasted no time and we_ _really just jump right in there. I hope I did Dennis justice here, and before you throw things at me for being mean, I_ _want you to know that it was no easier to write than it is to read. Be prepared though, it doesn't get much easier from_ _here on out._

Dennis Creevey stared blankly across the Black Lake as the sun began to rise in the distance. It was amazing to him how quiet Hogwarts could be this early in the day, not even the giant squid disturbed the stillness of the dawn. Dennis craved the tranquility of the mornings these days and had ever since the final battle, needing the serenity to help calm the raging typhoon of emotions and echoes of violence inside his head. Being around all the other students and the bustle between classes was almost unbearable at times. Even if he could for a moment forget the sounds of battle, he could never forget how every inch of the school was embedded with memories of the brother he lost.

Frustrated at the path his thoughts were again wandering down, he grabbed a stone off the ground and threw it as hard as he could towards the lake. Somehow still unsatisfied, he continued to grab more and more rocks and throw them with all his might, tears streaming down his face. Finally he dropped his head onto his knees and cried horrible body wracking sobs.

When the cries slowly came to a shuddering halt, Dennis took several deep breaths and mumbled forlornly, "I just can't do this anymore… I can't do it without you Colin…"

Looking up, he realized that he'd been outside far longer than he intended and he was now running the risk of being caught outside. While he didn't much care anymore about detentions or house points he didn't want to have to interact with any well meaning teachers. He hated how they always looked at him with so much pity in their eyes.

As he walked back up to the castle, he started to realize that there were more things to hate about Hogwarts than there were positives anymore. What was the use in staying when all that was left here was the pain of loss and pity? He could remember the days when Colin would write to him at home with wondrous stories of spells and magic that seemed straight out of a dream. He was so excited to receive his letter and realize he'd get to see Hogwarts and all of the things in those letters for himself. Dennis snorted derisively at himself as he thought about how he'd gushed to Colin about the creature that put him back in the boats in his first year. How quickly that excitement had turned to dread and fear…

Who knew that a world with such magic and excitement could also be filled with such malice and bigotry? That people would be willing to attack and even kill children just for daring to be born with magic they hadn't asked for. Sometimes Dennis dreamed of how much simpler life would have been if he and Colin had never gotten their letters, never learned of magic and death eaters at all. He'd have traded it all away for his brother to be alive and well again.

Maybe it was time to move on. To reject the world full of people who rejected him and took his brother away. Magic wasn't everything, and was it really worth the price he'd had to pay for it? There was a life away from Hogwarts; he could go home and live a normal life with his family. His parents would be more than glad to have their son home.

Looking up at the castle in front of him that seemed to shine in the early morning sunlight, Dennis wondered if he could go back to being an ordinary muggle again. He thought about the feeling he got when he learned how to cast a new spell or when he flew on a broom. There was a joy in those things that he'd never experienced as a muggle. But then he'd never experienced as a muggle something as painful as losing his brother in a war he didn't understand. Remembering the fear of death and torture...never knowing who he'd lose next or if he'd live to see the next day…

Steeling himself, Dennis prepared himself mentally to go speak to the Headmistress after breakfast. No magic could make up for what he had lost and so there was no point staying any longer. Hogwarts was no longer the home it once was and it never could be again. It was time to put Hogwarts and magic behind him for good. There was nothing left here and it was time to let go.


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I really hate having to remind myself every chapter but nope still don't own Harry Potter, any characters, or anything recognizable. Excuse me while I cry._

 _A/N: I fully admit this one tore my soul to shreds in a very horrific manner. Fred and George have a special place in my heart, and this made that part shrivel up. You have been warned._

The noise and bustle of Diagon Alley was muted but seemed deafening to the ears, well...ear, of George Weasley. He wanted to be anywhere but here, would have given anything to never have to set foot in this building again. Little else could make the empty part of his soul ache quite as hard as being in a place that was once the root of all of their hopes and dreams. Dreams that were forever out of his reach now. What point was there in trying to continue without his other half? Who was he without Fred? Nothing could ever be the same again and there was no point in trying to pretend it could be.

Looking out at the remnants of their shop it was almost impossible to remember the happier times that took place here. Looking at the ruins of what was once a place full of life and laughter that was now just a place of desolation. The Death Eaters had destroyed the shop during the height of the war. All that was left of he and his brother's shop was rubble and ashes.

In the year and a half since the war had ended George had only been able to step inside once. Shortly after Fred's funeral his family had dragged him into the shop with the idea that cleaning it up and reopening the store would give him something to focus on. In the end he couldn't stomach facing the reconstruction knowing that he'd be facing it, like everything else now, alone. He could feel his tortured soul desperately yearning for the comfort of his other half. He'd fled and no power from even Merlin himself could get him to go near it afterwards.

Being inside the shop that they'd built was like being trapped in a dream whose only purpose was to taunt him with reminders of the presence that should be there and wasn't. Nothing could be right in a world without Fred in it. It was unthinkable. There was no great pranking duo, no mischievous twins finishing each other's sentences, no pair of shopkeepers to guide the next generation of pranksters to their potential. There was no anything anymore and how could anyone expect any different?

They wanted him to be "normal", wanted him to joke and smile and act like he didn't die under that wall with his twin. He couldn't do it. He couldn't be Forge anymore and why couldn't they understand that! George didn't know how to be alone. He'd never had to learn because he'd always had his twin beside him. How could he ever function as just a half. There couldn't BE a George without a Fred and yet they expected it to work. They couldn't understand and he couldn't explain it to them. No one alive could ever help him.

He'd already run through the options, even gone so far as to consider asking someone to obliviate him so he could forget everything and everyone. It was so appealing, the idea of never knowing what he was missing. How could he do it though? Even in the depths of the darkest pits of his despair he knew he couldn't ask his family to take that on as well. They'd all suffered so much and to ask them to face that would be too much. Still, some days the idea of that possible escape was all that kept him going.

Instead, George decided to do the next best thing, if anything could be considered "best" in this scenario. The only way he could move forward in all this that wouldn't completely destroy what remained of his family is to completely separate himself from who he was. He needed to leave all traces of Gred and Forge behind if he ever wanted to exist for any length of time without wishing he was in the ground too.

As he looked around the remnants of the shop, he wondered what Fred would think of his decision. Would he approve? Not likely. His twin was always the stronger one of them both. Fred would never have given up on their dreams if he were in his shoes. His twin would have found some way to carry on their dreams and keep going. He wished so badly that it'd been him under that wall instead of Fred; it'd have been better for everyone. The tears began slipping quietly down his face as he brokenly whispered, "I… I'm so sorry Fred. I just… I can't do it without you. You weren't supposed to leave me here alone!"

Unable to speak anymore around the lump in his throat, George swiped angrily at his face and shook his head to help him focus on the task at hand. Looking around once more, he began to walk towards the door, straightening up as he went. He grasped the handle slowly and sighed, unable to help but look back once more. Before his eyes he could almost see the store as it was when they first opened and a bittersweet pain tore through him.

Closing his eyes against the feelings washing over him, he steeled himself before opening the door to leave. Feeling like he was leaving yet another large portion of his soul behind him, he walked out the door into Diagon Alley. Making sure to lock the doors securely behind him, he looked at the large sign over the door as his stomach clenched painfully. Unable to look at the large "FOR SALE" sign any longer, George hurriedly turned and walked away into the crowds of the Alley.


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: Nope, still haven't perfected the spell to possess Rowling so I can't claim any ownership._

 _A/N: I'm gonna stop warning you about feels, just assume all these chapters are evil monsters plotting out ways to make us all (yes even me) cry like little babies._

Harry did his best to smile down at his godson as he ran up to him and picked up his arms to signal that he wanted Harry to pick him up. Pulling him up into his arms, Harry was greeted by the extremely familiar sight of Teddy changing to the familiar messy black hair and bright green eyes he saw in the mirror every morning. A pang went through Harry's heart every time Teddy changed because when Teddy wasn't focused on anyone he would slip back into the same sandy brown hair and green eyes that his father had. It felt a bit like losing him all over again to see Teddy lose that look.

Some days being around Teddy was so hard. Harry tried his best to never show the toddler how much it hurt sometimes to know that he couldn't save Remus and Tonks. Hermione was always trying to tell him that he couldn't have saved everyone no matter what his hero complex said. What kind of hero was he if he couldn't save anyone he loved? Why hadn't he sent them home? Parents of a newborn had no business fighting and dying in a war! Despite what anyone said, Harry knew that he'd condemned Teddy to the same fate as his own, to forever be alone and longing for a family he'd never known.

Teddy deserved better than the childhood that Harry experienced, any child did but especially his godson. Harry owed Teddy more than he could ever make up to him; how was he supposed to compensate for costing an infant two amazing, loving, and wonderful parents? If Teddy was ever able to comprehend exactly what Harry had cost him… It was terrifying to think of. There was nothing he could do for it now except do his best at the job Remus and Tonks had left him. The worst thing he could do now was to let his guilt interfere with giving that little boy the best life he could possibly give him.

Professor McGonagall had sent him a letter inviting him back to Hogwarts to take his seventh year now that the repairs on the castle were mostly done. Hermione and Ron had received their own letters as well, and Hermione had been over the moon about the chance. She'd been pestering him constantly since then to send his letter to McGonagall to accept the offer pretty much every hour on the hour without fail.

Harry couldn't see leaving Teddy behind just to go back to Hogwarts for another year. What point was there in attending school when he's already defeated the Dark Lord? Everything would be different. Dumbledore and Snape were dead and so were so many of their classmates. The ones who'd survived were traumatized by the war, and Harry didn't know that there was any way he could face them and pretend he wasn't broken too.

Plus, Andromeda needed his help with Teddy. He couldn't leave her to handle everything herself. Remus and Tonks had wanted him to take care of their son, not wander off to do as he pleased and abandon him at the first opportunity. What would Teddy think if Harry just stopped coming to visit? His godson was too young to possibly understand the how's and why's of him leaving. All that he'd know is that he was being left behind again. What if he thought Harry was never coming back? How could he put him through something like that?!

There was only one possible solution; he'd stay nearby so he could always be around for Teddy and Andromeda. He couldn't leave them behind, especially when he didn't think there was really anything to be gained from going back. Hermione wouldn't be happy with him in the slightest, but she'd just have to understand that some things were more important than school. Fulfilling his obligations to Remus and Tonks were the most important thing and nothing could be allowed to stand in the way of that.

With his mind made up, Harry expected to feel relief or at least….something better than what he'd been feeling lately. Somehow, even though he had a plan, he felt just as, if not more, unsettled than he did before. Writing it off as anxiety over telling Hermione what he'd decided, Harry just kept repeating to himself, "It's what Tonks and Remus would have wanted. Teddy needs you. You owe him so much more than this. It's the right thing to do."

Letting Andromeda know he had an errand to run, Harry swept up Teddy into his arms and gave him a tight hug. As he held the boy tight Harry whispered, "I'm never going to leave you Teddy. I'll always be here for you. You'll never ever be alone like I was." Tears gathering in his eyes, he set Teddy down and began to head home. He had a letter to write.


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: As it looks as though my alternate universe machine did not in fact take me to a universe wherein I wrote Harry Potter, I have to admit to owning none of these characters_

 _A/N: I swear, all of these chapters looked way longer when they were typed out on google documents. Some monster on here is eating my words and making them look super tiny. Regardless, we get to see McGonagall's POV this chapter and get more of the backstory as to why she is so desperate in the first chapter._

Minerva McGonagall started her morning as she did every day, with a light breakfast and tea while she perused the Daily Prophet. She was pleased to see that the quality of news had improved considerably since the days of the war and even before when they employed that obnoxious woman who dared to called herself a reporter.

Taking a sip of her tea, she began to unfold her paper, only to nearly choke on her drink and tear the paper. Clearing her throat while her eyes watered, she cast a quick reparo on the paper before picking it back up and reading it intently. Incapable of believing what she was reading, she reread it several times before checking who the author of the piece was to make sure it wasn't that wretched beetle stirring up trouble again.

 _ **Has Weasley's Wizard Wheezes Wheezed Its Last?**_

 _No resident of the wizarding community is unfamiliar with the name Weasley, family of renowned war hero and one third of the Golden Trio Ronald Weasley. However, nearly as well known is the famous George Weasley, surviving half of the twin brothers who created the most popular joke shop wizarding Britain has ever known and famous pranksters. Readers will of course remember that the other half of this legendary pranking duo tragically perished at the Battle of Hogwarts over a year ago._

 _It seems that customers of the well known joke shop are bound to be disappointed as this reporter discovered this morning that the shop is currently up for sale. The word on the street is that this marks the end of the Weasley joke shop and no one has been able to reach Mr. Weasley for comment at this time. Speculation has run rampant as to why the shop will not be reopening in the face of the Weasley family's silence. After talking to several close friends this reporter has discovered that George Weasley is through with the shop as he's finding himself unable to continue on in the face of his loss._

 _It appears that without his brother George Weasley can't run their iconic joke shop. The patrons of Diagon Alley will have to look elsewhere for their pranking needs from now on. No news yet on what the future plans are for George Weasley, though sources say that he has been seen increasingly around the Ministry of Magic with his older brother Percy Weasley. Does this mean the lauded prankster is putting away the Canary Creams and Skiving Snackboxes to follow the path of his father and older brother in the Ministry? We'll keep you abreast of the details as we receive them dear readers._

McGonagall threw down the paper and put her head in her hands. "Merlin help us… It's worse than I thought," she sighed. A watery sheen obscured her sight of the picture of George walking away from the "FOR SALE" sign on the shop's front door. The look on his face made her heart shatter for him. Nothing was right with a world where a Weasley twin quit pranking, much less to do so just to go work at the Ministry of Magic!

This couldn't be allowed to stand. He would never be happy this way, and it just wasn't right to allow it. Maybe she could write to Molly… There had to be something, somewhere that would fix it. They couldn't just let him make such a huge mistake with his life. He'd do nothing but regret it if he did this, and they had to act fast before the shop could be sold. He just needed some direction and closure to see what a mistake he's making.

Sighing as she set down the paper, she started to gather up her paperwork for the day. There was so much left to do to prepare everything for the returning students who needed to finish their 7th year due to the war. She had yet to hear from several of the prospective students, especially the Trio, but she was unconcerned. With Hermione around there was no way she wouldn't hear from them before very much longer.

It would be good to be able to see for herself how they were handling everything. She loved all her cubs but couldn't deny that those three held a special place in her heart. She'd spent so much more time worrying about them than any others who had come before them. It was more than time for them to have some time to simply rest and recover and possibly experience at least one normal school year as normal children, or as normal as those three could ever be.

As if her thoughts had summoned it, an owl swooped through the window and landed on the desk in front of her. Taking the letter from the bird, she realized it was from Harry. She couldn't stop a small smile from making its way onto her face. She was excited to receive his acceptance so she could get him settled back at Hogwarts quickly. The poor boy needed a decent chance to get away from everything for a while, and she would be grateful for the chance to see how he was doing herself.

Opening the letter to see what day he would be arriving, she was shocked to instead see that Harry was...declining?! What in the name of Merlin was that boy thinking! He needed to be here!

Reading through the rest of the letter to see what possible justification that boy could have for not returning she felt her heart shatter and anger melt away as she realized what was happening. Harry was obviously shouldering unnecessary guilt in regards to young Mr. Lupin and the death of Remus and Nymphadora during the final battle. After watching him grow for so long she knew that nothing she could say would change his mind about the guilt he felt was his due.

She couldn't think of anyone who would be able to convince him that their deaths weren't his fault. Neither Remus nor Nymphadora had even left a portrait behind before their untimely deaths that she could have him talk to. There weren't any surviving members of the Order who were close enough to the couple that Harry would accept their word on it either. All the ones she could think of were either dead or would just be passed off as them trying to make him feel better.

Glancing between the letter still in her hand and the picture from the paper of George walking away from his joke shop on her table, she couldn't help but feel like her cubs were making terrible mistakes. They were lost and wandering and neither would accept help easily from anyone, though Godric knew they needed it desperately. She had to hope that she could find some way to get them both to see reason before they went too far down the wrong path to find their way back to where they needed to be.


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: Apparently even Felix Felicis is unable to give me enough luck to own Harry Potter. That or the wizard I bought it off of is a dirty rotten liar. No matter the case, still don't own the series. How do we know? Well, if I did, we wouldn't need this fic._

 _A/N: There's a bit of a time jump here where we pick up back where we left off in chapter 1. We start basically from the last sentence and move straight on from there so it may be a good idea to give it another glance through. If you're lazy though I'm gonna include the last sentence._

With a disgruntled sigh he asked, "What do you know of the Feast of the Dead ritual?"

McGonagall looked at him sharply as several of the portraits around the room whispered back and forth. Dumbledore stood in his portrait and glared across the room at Phineas before looking at the Headmistress and telling her, "Minerva, you must not perform that ritual. It was banned many years ago because the cost for that kind of magic is too high. I understand your desire to help them but this is not the way. Ritual magic like this is dark magic, my dear."

Phineas barely let Dumbledore say his piece before interjecting, "That is nonsense! That ritual has been used by my family for generations before people like you, who paint all ritual magic as dark without even stopping to look at the specifics of the spell, interfered! She is-"

"Not to be trifled with and certainly not so while in this school," Dumbledore interrupted.

Feeling unsure but lost as to what other options there were, the Scottish witch turned to face Albus' portrait and, as firmly as she could, ordering him, "Let him finish explaining the ritual. We have no other possibilities at this time and I fear not long enough to find others. Wasn't it you who taught me that sacrifices must be made for the greater good? The mental health of these children is the greatest good we have right now." Then she turned to face Phineas and nodded at him to continue.

Phineas turned to look at Dumbledore with a smug look before looking back at the current Headmistress. "The feast of the dead ritual is an ancient Samhain pureblood ritual. We used it to seek wisdom from our ancestors and honor those who we had loved that had passed on. I believe this ritual to be exactly the solution you are looking for in this situation. However, this is no small magic to be undertaken lightly. You may find the cost too high for the gain. **She** is not to be trifled with lightly, Headmistress."

"Who exactly is this 'she' to which you and Albus have referred," she asked suspiciously. Minerva McGonagall was not some naive witch who would call upon some unknown entity for favors. She may be a Gryffindor, but she was far too experienced for that sort of foolishness.

"For this ritual you will need to call on The Morrigan. It must be done on Samhain when the veil is thin, and you must pay whatever price she asks of you for this to be done. Considering what you would ask of her, the price may indeed be more than you are willing to give her."

Hearing the name of The Phantom Queen, Goddess of War and Warriors, made McGonagall inhale sharply. Few would willingly draw her attention needlessly, much less dare to seek favors from her, especially ones of this magnitude. She would need her to not only bring back one or two people but to do so many times all in the same evening… She shuddered to think of what The Morrigan could possibly ask of her in return.

However, was there really such a thing as "too high" when there was so much on the line? Her cubs needed something to ease their burdens and had sacrificed so much at such a young age. Could she really deny them that when she had the ability to give it? The Morrigan was the goddess of warriors, realistically who better to help those who had earned the right to be called warriors many times over, even before reaching their majority. Decision made, she strode over to stand directly in front of the portrait of the late Phineas Nigellus Black.

"Where do I find information on casting this ritual?"

* * *

 **Part 2**

Looking around at the room that the so called Come and Go Room had created for her, Minerva McGonagall nodded to herself as she set her supplies and the tome she had found in the library of Grimmauld Place on the table in the center of the room. There were only a few hours left to go before Samhain would officially begin and there was much to be done to set up the ritual so that there would be enough time for all the students to spend some time with their loved ones before the veil no longer allowed their spirits passage for the ritual. Phineas and the tome both made it clear that no amount of bargaining with The Morrigan would convince her to allow more time once Samhain ended.

The room of requirement was the obvious choice of places to have the ritual with such stringent time constraints. With Filius' help they had designed a spell that she could cast on the area in front of the door which would cause the person standing there to think of the person they most needed to see, the person or people that their very soul was crying out for. This would mean that the ritual need only be cast once, saving valuable time in the process and ensuring everyone got what they needed from the experience.

The Headmistress had already decided not to let any of the children know what was going to happen. She feared that the knowledge would overwhelm them and interfere with the healing she hoped so badly would occur here. She also knew that she must never let any of them know what ritual she used to make this possible. There was too much risk in them doing it on their own. She worried that, as young as they still were, they could not handle bargaining with The Morrigan herself. It wouldn't be easy to deny them, but she knew she must for the safety of everyone involved.

Gathering the quartz crystals, she walked around the room clockwise leaving one crystal at each of the four directional points of the room. When she reached her starting point she went back to the table to grab the three wreaths made of willow and blackthorn branches and placed one towards the South, one to the East, and, using a sticking charm, hung one over the door. Taking a deep breath, she moved back towards the table and picked up the yew branches and sprigs of mugwort. There was a burning pit in front of the table and she arranged the branches before lighting them with a whispered, "Incendio."

As the branches began to burn she stepped back to the table and quickly glanced through the book to be sure everything was as it should be. This was not a time for mistakes of any kind. There would only be one chance. Steeling herself for what was to come, she began to recite from the book.

"The veil grows thin at the time of the dead,

As we honor our ancestors,

In whose footsteps we tread.

As leaves fall thick and carpet the ground,

The Dark Mother waits in silence profound,

Seek the wisdom of days gone by,

To deal with the past and let it lie.

Face your shadow and accept your faults,

Look now to the future to seek your results."

Through the light smoke that was beginning to fill the room, Minerva began to see swirls of movement. Suppressing a shudder, she lifted her head and prepared to greet the goddess of war and death.

A voice that seemed to come from everywhere at once chuckled at her behavior. "It has been some time since one such as you have called upon me during Samhain. I know what it is you desire of me. The question is if you are willing to pay the price of such a request. This is no small favor you ask."

"What would you ask of me?"

"If I were to do this, I would have you for one of my own." A jolt ran through her body. She hadn't known what to expect going into this, but it certainly hadn't been that.

There was an obvious smirk in the tone as the voice of the goddess continued. "You are a brave warrior, but more than that you are the leader of a whole house of potential warriors for me. Your Gryffindors could suit my purposes nicely with guidance. Guidance you would provide for them on my behalf. Do not be mistaken, to be mine is no light burden you take on. I will require pain from you and from those you would guide to me, and you will bear that pain double knowing it was you who set them on the path."

"What pain would you require of them," McGonagall demanded, torn between her desire to help her current cubs and her need to protect those who would one day be hers as well.

"Worry not. The pain they suffer will be simply part of their journey to becoming the warriors I need. True members of your house will thank you in the end, regardless."

With her stomach feeling like it was full of lead, she swallowed a few times before straightening and saying as firmly as she could, "We have an agreement."

 _A/N: I just want to be clear, in case anyone has a strong desire to pull out the rotten tomatoes to throw at me, that McGonagall didn't choose this lightly. She takes her role very seriously and would never want to let her students come to harm. The problem is that she knows for a fact that these specific students are so desperately in need of this intervention that she's more flexible in worries of the distant future. She also knows that she'll be around to guide those students of the future, whereas some of these people (like George and Harry) are already beyond her help and in more immediate danger. So try not to judge her too harshly._


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: Apparently changing my name to JK Rowling doesn't actually give me ownership of Harry Potter! Who knew?! Guess that means you know the drill: I don't own Harry Potter in any way, shape , or form._

 _A/N: Now we get to the part I know you've all been looking forward to! Time to actually see some horribly painful interactions._

Dennis had no idea how he'd let the Headmistress talk him into this. He'd gone to her office this morning, determined to leave Hogwarts and, by extension, magic far behind him before heading straight to the Ministry to have his wand snapped and himself obliviated. Instead she tells him about some "special meeting" happening today, which she refused to tell him about beyond that it would "help him heal from his loss" and that he "would not be allowed to miss this meeting while still at her school". She even threatened to have Peeves chase him around the school until he showed up if he was even a minute late! It took him ages to get her to agree that after attending this "meeting" of hers that she would allow him to withdraw from Hogwarts and go to the Ministry.

All he wanted was to leave this place that had once been a place of wonder and filled with promise that now held only anguish and memories of the loss of his brother. How was magic supposed to help him heal when all magic had done was cost him his brother?! He couldn't help but think that had he and Colin never gotten their letters then they'd be safe back home doing normal things that children of 14 and 16 did, not trying to cope with war and death. They should be dealing with girl problems and tests, not murderous Death Eaters!

He raged quietly under his breath as he stormed up to the seventh floor and the room where Headmistress McGonagall was waiting for him, determined to get whatever this was over with so that he could leave this place as quickly as possible. Every extra minute he was forced to spend here grated on his heart and soul. Magic had never done anything but cause him grief and cost him his brother and his childhood; he'd be glad to be rid of it entirely.

There was so much misery associated with magic to him now that he could no longer cast a Patronus charm, not even a noncorporeal wisp. Dennis couldn't even remember the warmth that fills you with a successfully cast Patronus, the joy you feel when you watch it move around you. Just thinking about it filled him with a horrible hatred as he remembered that his Patronus was just another thing that Death Eaters had taken from him. Just one more loss on the mountain that Dennis felt he was not so slowly being crushed by.

He stopped in front of the door, making a point to not look up from the floor in case he said something he might regret. The bitterness inside him was bubbling up, seeking a target to unleash some of the darkness flourishing inside his heavy heart. He knew logically that it wasn't the Headmistress' fault, but he knew that wouldn't stop him from causing a scene if he had to see that disappointed look she was almost certainly still wearing. Dennis understood that she was upset but couldn't she see how much he was suffering here?! All he was asking was for a little kindness and respect for his wishes. It's the least he deserved! Knowing that if he opened his mouth the rage would pour out like a tsunami, he stopped only for a moment to nod at the Headmistress before moving to the door.

Eager to have it done with, Dennis shoved the door open and walked inside, stopping short when he saw a table set up with a small meal and two place settings. He noticed all the foods on the table were Colin's favorite foods and wondered what kind of sick joke this was. Suddenly unsure and more than a little angry, he slowly took a seat and held his breath as he waited for something to happen. When nothing immediately occurred, he dropped his head onto the table and huffed, "I can't wait to get out of this place!"

From across the table a familiar voice softly said, "Now why would you want to leave a place like Hogwarts, little brother?"

Dennis' head shot off the table fast enough that his muscles twinged in protest of their treatment, and he saw Colin, looking exactly as he did that last horrible day before he left to answer Neville's call to arms. The tears that immediately filled his eyes also impeded Dennis' ability to see his brother, and he began to blink furiously, afraid that if he lost sight of Colin for even a second he'd never get this chance again.

"You….You're really here? How….How is that possible? You're... you...how?" Dennis stuttered and found himself too choked up to say any of the multitude of things he'd dreamed of saying to his brother. It felt like all his thoughts and words were building up in his throat and choking him. He was starting to worry that he'd run out of time with Colin before he'd be able to say **anything** to his brother. Dennis knew that if he didn't hurry up and take advantage of this opportunity that he'd hate himself forever. He just… didn't know where to begin. There was so much and yet none of it seemed to fit now that he had Colin here in front of him. How was this even possible?!

Colin smiled indulgently at his brother and whispered with the merest hint of censure to his voice, "Magic, Dennis." There was the same kind of small smile on his face as when they were kids and he'd asked Colin an obvious question.

Dennis couldn't help the snort of derision that escaped him. He could hear the same awe-like tone that Colin had always used when talking about magic. As far as his brother had been concerned magic had been the single most amazing thing in existence. Dennis couldn't understand how he could possibly still talk about it that was as if magic hadn't totally ruined their lives! Didn't Colin understand that magic had killed him?!

Dennis sighed sadly and Dennis felt a horrible pain in his heart at the thought that they were spending this precious time together arguing, but he knew that he had to make Colin understand. If he couldn't make Colin understand his decision then he'd be disappointed in him. Dennis wouldn't allow his brother to leave again disappointed in him. That would kill him to bear.

"Magic didn't take me away from you, but it did give us this time together. Doesn't that count for something? Don't throw it all away or they win Dennis. Then it really was all for nothing, even my death. I died so that kids like us could go to Hogwarts and learn magic, not so you could pretend that it never existed. We won and you need to stay so you can see all the wondrous things magic can do when it's not tainted by hate. Hogwarts is your home just like it was mine and it's where you belong. Let go of your bitterness towards magic because magic didn't kill me. Death Eaters did. Hate did. Prejudice did. Magic… Magic is what we used to defeat the things that killed me, and it's what will heal you. But you have to let it do that Dennis."

Dennis couldn't stop the tears then as his brother came around the table and embraced him. In that moment he felt safe and warm and all the things he'd thought he'd forgotten how to feel in the war. He could remember how it felt to learn to cast his Patronus and see it bathing him in that brilliant white light. The damage wasn't gone, maybe it never would be, but at least healing and peace didn't seem quite so out of reach anymore. Most of all, Dennis knew then he could never give up the magic that had allowed him to hug his brother one last time.


	8. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: I searched the cave of wonders and there still wasn't anything to make me own Harry Potter. Heartbreaking, I know. So, the characters still aren't mine._

 _A/N: Pretty sure this is my longest chapter so far and I freely admit it's probably because Fred and George are my favorites. I've lived in denial about Fred's death for ages so it makes sense I focus so much on fixing that as best I can in this story. What's not to love though? If, like me, you love the twins, this chapter will be a bit hard to handle. I apologize in advance._

The castle loomed in front of George Weasley, looking far larger and more ominous than it had ever looked when he was a first year. Maybe it was because he could still hear the chaos of the battle ringing in his ears. The explosions and screams seemed deafeningly loud in his good ear. He only barely resisted the urge to pull out his wand and prepare for an attack as he walked up the path. Just being here was making his skin crawl and heart pound with fear. Then again….maybe it was just that the last time he'd walked up to the castle he'd still been a whole person. He'd never been to Hogwarts without Fred…

Reaching out to open the doors, he hesitated, wondering if it wouldn't be better to just run away. Nothing McGonagall had to say could be worth facing the ghosts that these walls held for him. Seeing the courtyard was hard enough but entering these doors, especially if he had to pass the Great Hall where his brother's body had lain while they cried over him. Part of him whispered in his mind that he owed it to Professor McGonagall to at least hear her out. This meeting couldn't take very long and then he'd never have to be here again. Fortifying himself, he pushed open the doors and held his head up as much as he could as he walked to the stairs, making certain to not even glance toward the Great Hall. While he could force himself to step into the castle for Professor McGonagall, nobody could make him go near that room again.

George's stomach was churning as he walked slowly up to the seventh floor. He again debated turning and walking out of the school entirely rather than see what was waiting for him. Each step felt like it took twice as much effort as the one before. He didn't even know why he was trying. George didn't even know who he was here to meet with. The whole affair was rather hush hush and while normally he'd be the first to try and uncover the big secret, there was just no point anymore. Why go through the effort when you have no one to share the glory with? Nothing seemed worth the effort anymore. The horrible unending emptiness inside of him only grew as he thought of how disappointed Fred would be in his lack of meddling.

Shaking his head to clear it, he walked unseeingly past McGonagall and into the opened her mouth to say something but seemed to think better of it when she saw the look on his face. Not even stopping to take a moment to look around before heading straight to one of the five seats around a table with some assortment of foods.

Since he was so lost in thought, it was almost impossible for him to have seen it coming. Suddenly, George saw something moving toward him far too quickly to dodge; in fact he barely had time to realize something was happening before it hit him in the face. He found himself falling backward onto something... surprisingly soft? There was a chorus of roaring laughter before a voice yelled out, "You ought to be ashamed of yourself Gred! That was almost as easy as getting Percy!"

Desperately, George tried to wipe away whatever substance was keeping him from seeing the one person he desperately wanted to see. He couldn't believe that he'd heard what he thought he'd heard. There was no way! Wasn't it? Suddenly, a strong stream of liquid interrupted his thoughts as it sprayed him in the face as he coughed and spluttered. When it ended, he looked up into the face he saw every day in the mirror yet never thought he'd see again.

"Honestly Gred and you call yourself my brother. How could you let yourself get pranked so easily? I guess I got the looks **and** the brains, didn't I," Fred chuckled before pulling his stunned twin to his feet and embracing him. George felt like he couldn't breathe as he squeezed his twin as hard as he could. When Fred started to pull away, George briefly thought about not letting go at all and staying in this moment forever. Deciding he'd never learn what was going on if he didn't, he reluctantly allowed his arms to go lax. Following Fred to his seat at the table, George finally took note of the three other men already seated as they smiled widely at him. One of whom was still chuckling as he shook the water gun he was holding lightly in George's direction with a wink.

George gaped at the men before looking at his twin whose smile could not be wider as he announced, "That's right George! You are in the presence of pranking royalty! You already know Professor Lupin and Sirius, of course. This fine gentleman here is the one and only Prongs. James Potter himself. Who better to help me remind you who we are and what we do than the Marauders? You need help, brother mine. You need it badly from what I hear. I mean honestly, Forge, the Ministry?! No twin of mine could possibly be some ponce following in Perfect Percy's footsteps and walk away from our dream!"

The Marauders chuckled to themselves before Sirius shook his head in mock disappointment and said, "I don't know Fred. Maybe you were the only real prankster because that was far too easy for someone who was part of the second greatest set of pranksters Hogwarts has ever known."

George scoffed and, almost without thinking, replied, "Second?! I'll show you second!"

* * *

 **Part 2**

Fred chuckled loudly as he watched his twin animatedly start comparing pranks with Sirius and James. He looked like a different person than the one who'd walked into that door just a few moments ago. Fred refused to show it but he was terrified for his twin. His eyes had looked completely dead and lifeless and his face gaunt and pale. Really he was afraid to ask George when he'd last had a real meal, or anything, to eat.

Remus met Fred's eyes across the table and his troubled expression matched Fred's own. They knew they had only a very short amount of time to bring George back into himself. A shudder went through Fred as he tried to imagine what would become of his brother if they failed. His family couldn't afford to lose another son and they certainly would if he couldn't fix the broken parts of George. He couldn't let them down, especially not George. His twin deserved more than to live his life as an empty shell of his former self.

His heart had shattered when George walked into the room with a tormented and broken look in his eyes. He'd never seen his twin look so anguished in their entire lives. Nothing had even come close to this. He'd seen George hurt, in pain, sick, and scared at different times but he'd never seen him… destroyed. The light was gone from his eyes. Fred wondered if what he was seeing before him was what a person looked like after they'd been Kissed. He was alive but there was just no soul left to him.

Talking to the Marauders had brought a spark of life back into George's eyes, but it was clear he wasn't the same. There was still something vital broken in him. Fred wasn't quite sure where to begin. What words could fix such horrific damage? There wasn't room for doubt here though. No one could possibly know his twin better than he did so there was no one better to fix him.

Standing up and walking around the table, Fred leaned on George's shoulder deceptively casually. Looking down at his twin who was looking up at him questioningly, Fred chuckled sadly and popped off with, "You know George, just because we're twins doesn't mean you have to look like my corpse."

George choked on the butterbeer he'd been drinking and even the Marauders looked at him with some surprise. Once he'd overcome the subsequent coughing fit and could breathe properly once more, George stood up, shaking Fred off of his shoulders as he glared at him. "I don't know what you're talking about! I'm fine!"

"Oh really? I may be dead, twin of mine, but I was unaware that made me blind and stupid too," Fred tossed back with a hard smirk. "Dead or not, I'm still your twin and even if I wasn't, it doesn't take a genius to see what's right in front of me. Can you even remember the last time you pranked someone or made a joke? No, let me make it easier for you. When's the last time you ate a real meal? Cause I don't think you have a bloody clue!"

George looked down at the ground, knowing he'd be unable to answer his twin's questions. In all honesty, he knew that he hadn't been bothering to take care of himself at all since Fred's death. How could anyone blame him for that though? In the face of the death of his twin who could hold a few missed meals against him?

"You don't get to ask me those things! You have no idea what it's like to be stuck here without you! To try and make it through day after day of all of the pitying looks and being around everyone else when they tried to comfort me and pretend that they knew what I was feeling! You don't have to bite your tongue when all you want to do is scream at them that they can NEVER understand how you feel! To lose half of yourself in an instant and still be expected to carry on the same way! So WHAT if I skipped a few meals here and there or haven't felt up to playing stupid jokes! You don't get to question what I have to do to survive when you….YOU LEFT ME HERE! Alone!" At this George collapsed and began to cry great heaving sobs as he choked out, "That's not how it was supposed to work. We were never supposed to be alone Fred. How could you leave me here?"

Fred was speechless as his twin's agony tore through him, brutally savaging his soul in its wake. George's pain was a tangible horrific aura that was beyond Fred's belief. That someone, his brother, could be in this much pain and still be living seemed life's cruelest trick of all. Fred began to wonder how he could possibly expect to even alleviate George's pain in such a short time as they had left, much less to put an end to his pain so that he could live a happy and normal life without him. He was honestly terrified that there was nothing that **could** help George get free of this.

Fred could feel his negative thoughts and worries for George beginning to spiral out of his control. As he kneeled down next to George's sobbing form and hugged him the terror for his brothers future washed over him, and he briefly wondered if a dementor was somehow there. Shaking himself, he reminded himself that he was a Weasley twin! There was nothing he couldn't do if he wanted it badly enough and what more could he possibly want than for his twin to be happy again!

Giving George a last tight squeeze, Fred pulled back from his twin and took a firm grip of his shoulders. He waited for George to look at him again so he could see how serious he was when he said this. "George I NEVER planned to leave you alone. It's the last thing I'd ever do to you and you know that. Merlin, I know it's hard George! If I could change it, you know I would. Imagine how great a prank that would be." They both gave a watery chuckle at the mental image.

"We can't change what happened though, George. I can't come back but you can carry on for us both. You have to carry on our legacy as master pranksters so that people never forget. It'll be hard and you'll think you can't carry on for another day sometimes, but I can never really be gone as long as you're there. That's what being a twin is. Every time you pull a truly genius prank people will remember and think to themselves " _I wonder what would have happened if Fred, the_ ** _obviously_** _handsomer and smarter twin, were still around to plan that"_." Fred gave a wink, causing George to jokingly shove his shoulder.

"It's your job to carry on. You have to keep our shop, our dream, alive for me! We both worked too hard for you to just give that up now! You have to carry on for our family too, George. Mum and Dad already lost one son, you can't take another from them, especially not like this. It'll kill them to watch you waste away until there's nothing left. I don't even want to think of what that'll do to Ginny. And what about when they all start having kids? Who will be left to teach the little monsters how to prank and get away with stuff when Mum isn't watching! Without you around to teach them our pranking legacy might end with us! Too much is riding on you for you to just give up now, Forge."

With that, Fred helped George up and led him back to the table, which now only had 2 place sittings and was missing the Marauders who had been sitting there previously. George looked at Fred, obviously confused, while Fred just shrugged and said, "Some things are only meant to be between us." Knowing his twin as well as he did, George didn't question him further and merely took his place at the table.

Fred sighed as he looked at his other half. "I can't stay too much longer. We're almost out of time here." George looked at him frantically, obviously hoping that he was joking. Fred just looked at him sorrowfully and explained, "The magic keeping me here to talk to you was never meant to last for very long. This experience can't be repeated either so I need to know that you listened to what I said. I need to know that you're going to be okay, if not now then at least someday."

George got up and hugged his brother as tightly as he could, trying to let every sensation sink in so that he could remember them forever. He knew this memory would have to last him a long time to come. In a voice thick with unshed tears, George agreed to take Fred's words to heart and try to do better.

Suddenly, something seemed to shift in the air of the room around them and Fred looked upset. "It's time. You need to go, Forge." Fred grabbed him as tightly as he could and said, "I love you so you better take care of yourself."

Then he let go of his brother and gave him a small shove toward the door. George took a few half hearted steps away before looking back at Fred with watery eyes. "I love you too, Gred. I'll do my best." Swallowing thickly, he continued the suddenly much longer journey to the exit.

George was almost at the door when Fred called out, "Hey!" Surprised, George turned to face him and saw a wonderfully familiar smirk on his twin's face. "If you leave the shop just to take a job at the Ministry, I'll disown you and start calling you Perfect Prefect Percy forever. I mean really, Forge?! What were you thinking? Honestly!"

George couldn't contain the burst of laughter that left him at the truly disgusted look on Fred's face at the idea of his twin working for the Ministry instead of their shop. Feeling a bit more lighthearted, George left the room with a small smile on his face, though his eyes still had a watery sheen.

As he closed the door behind him, George inhaled deeply, feeling like he'd taken his first real breath since he'd seen his brother's body. An enormous weight seemed to lift itself off of his shoulders and for the first time he really thought he just might be able to make it after all.

 _A/N: Just a note that I am entirely aware that things switch around as to which twin is "Gred" and which is "Forge". I did that on purpose because it seems like such a twin thing of them to do. If they're constantly switching around, no one can keep track of which is which and that's how they like it. At this point it's just habit for them to randomly switch._


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: Being as I still haven't_ _received a letter from Rowling letting me know that she's giving me complete ownership of Harry Potter and all its characters yet (though it IS nearly my birthday so who knows) I have to once again say that I don't own anything except my plot._

 _A/N: Alright gang, this is the last chapter I have for now. Hopefully Teddy will stop being a jerk to my muse and I can get back to you with the epilogue sometime soon. I hope you all enjoyed this story though, even without the epilogue. Feel free to drop a review or PM with your thoughts on it since I'm still really new at this and always willing to learn how to do better. Now, enjoy!_

Harry wondered why Professor McGonagall had told him to bring Teddy with him to this mysterious meeting today, but he hoped it wouldn't take too long. It was nearly nap time. He was carrying the boy up the stairs as best he could as the one and a half year old did HIS best to squirm out of Harry's arms. Harry was tempted to let him walk but was worried that Teddy had inherited his mother's clumsiness. Images of the toddler falling down all the stairs made Harry shudder in fear. Glad to finally reach the top, Harry walked up to the Professor and was greatly confused when she simply hurried him into the room instead of stopping to speak with him.

A bit more wary now then he was, Harry adjusted Teddy in his arms to draw his wand and began scouting for any hint of danger to his young godson. Seeing nothing but a cozy room with a large table holding six chairs and a high chair, Harry relaxed. He did not, however, put away his wand as the voice in his head (that sounded suspiciously like Mad Eye) shouted, "Constant Vigilance!".

A voice behind him proudly declared, "I always knew you'd be a great godfather!" Whipping around with his wand at the ready Harry turned to stone when he saw his own godfather, Sirius Black, leaning casually against the wall with a large grin on his face.

"To be fair, Padfoot, I think I made it pretty clear that I knew he would be when I made him Teddy's godfather," came another voice from next to Harry. Unsure which way to turn and what to think, Harry backed up slowly towards the table with a tight grip on both his godson and his wand. Harry wasn't sure who these people were but if they thought they were going to catch him with his guard down, they were sadly mistaken.

"Would you two quit horsing around and scaring my son? Or do I have to come over there," threatened a voice Harry had only heard in his nightmares. Collapsing into the nearest chair, Harry looked around the room only to find even more people, all of them recognizable and all very dead.

Slowly Lily Potter approached her son and gently lowered his wand to the table. Taking advantage of Harry's surprise, she picked up the small child and cooed at him softly before passing him off to a very purple-haired Tonks. Once free, she gathered Harry up into her arms and gave him the kind of hug he'd only experienced from Mrs. Weasley until now, the kind of hug only a mother can give.

Feeling a firm hand grasping his shoulder, Harry turned to see a face so very like his own. All except the eyes of course, just like everyone had always told him. It struck Harry in that moment just how young his parents were when they'd died. They'd seemed so huge when he saw them in the Mirror of Erised all those years ago, but now he was almost as tall as his father and already taller than his mother. James Potter smiled a huge grin of the purest pride and love before looking over at where Tonks, Remus, and Sirius were playing with Teddy.

James pulled Harry into a tight hug and whispered in his ear, "I am so proud of you, Harry." Tears filled Harry's eyes as he hugged his father back as tightly as his arms could bear. When they finally parted, Lily stepped forward to hug her son and tell him, "We're both so proud of you sweetheart. We love you so much." Harry could hardly believe he was actually getting to hear this from his parents. It was all he'd ever wanted. Harry could do nothing but bask in the warmth of his parents love, something he'd known existed but never been able to truly experience until now.

"Hey now, don't hog my godson to yourself! Let me have a turn!" Sirius playfully scolded before sweeping Harry into yet another warm embrace. When he let go, Sirius leaned down to look Harry in the eyes as he spoke, "You did a great job, Pup. You did us all proud."

Something in Harry's very soul twisted horribly hearing Sirius say that. How could he of all people tell Harry he'd done a good job when it was entirely Harry's fault he'd died? He killed his own godfather and here he was being congratulated for doing well by the man he all but killed. He could hardly bear it. Harry being who he was, no one in the room, with the exception of little Teddy, missed the play of emotions across his face. The Marauders and their wives shared troubled looks as Remus and Tonks moved to join the others surrounding Harry.

Remus and Sirius each moved to grab on of Harry's arms and directed him toward a chair before forcing him to sit and standing close enough in front of Harry that he couldn't get up. Harry felt himself start to panic a little, and he instinctively gripped his wand tighter and started analyzing escape routes. Realizing what he was doing, he squeezed his eyes shut and took several deep breaths to remind himself that the war was over and he was safe. When he opened his eyes it was to the concerned looks of his family.

Feeling embarrassed, Harry glared down at his knees and avoided looking at them so he wouldn't have to see the pity in their eyes. He silently berated himself for letting them see how damaged he still was after the war. He'd probably ruined this whole "visit" by being ridiculous and making them worry about him. A firm hand on his head interrupted his musings and he looked up to see his dad. James Potter was looking down at him with a sad smile on his face. Once he looked around, Harry realized that they all were staring at him in the same way.

"Harry, there's no need to be embarrassed. You're with family. Even if you weren't, you've lived through a war at such a young age. With all you have had to see and do, there can be no shame in having a few issues and side effects. It doesn't make you any less brave or strong at all and no one here, or anywhere else, will ever judge you for it," James gently explained.

"Don't you think that we all had the same problems at one point, Pup? We know how it feels to be in a war. We've all flinched at noises, had nightmares that make us scared to sleep, and drawn your wand on someone by accident when startled. Everything you've experienced we have too. Do you really think that I didn't have any effects from being in Azkaban? I couldn't stand the winter because it was cold and it made me think I was still stuck there. I was never able to cast a Patronus again, did you know that?" Sirius chimed in.

"Being scarred by war is nothing to be ashamed of Harry," Lupin chided. "I more than anyone know what it feels like to think you're weak because of your scars. If there's one thing that all of you, and Dora especially," he looked over at his wife with a fond smile, "taught me, it's that scars don't define you. Even emotional ones, like what you've experienced, don't have to be how you see yourself. You're still strong despite not feeling like it now. The day will come when you realize that you're just as strong, if not stronger, because of those scars. You don't have to be ashamed. You should be proud because you earned those scars by doing something amazing. You saved a lot of people, Harry, and handled things that wizards twice your age couldn't have. War changes you and sometimes that's hard to come back from, but I know that if anyone can that it's you."

Tears welled in Harry's eyes and his shoulders shook as he choked out, "How can you say things like that? If I…," he looked up at Sirius, "If I'd been smarter and realized it was a trap you'd still be alive!" He turned to look at Lupin and Tonks and continued, "And your son wouldn't be orphaned! He could've grown up with both of his parents if not for me!"

"You stop that right now! Remus and I were there because we both wanted to fight. It was our fight as much as it was yours, and we wanted to do our part to make the world safer for our son. We accomplished it too! Yes, we'd have loved to be there to see Teddy grow up, but that doesn't mean that we aren't proud that our actions helped ensure that he gets to grow up safe. Some things are worth dying for and protecting the future of our world from the likes of Voldemort counts. It wasn't just your fight Harry," Tonks explained firmly.

"It wasn't, and isn't, your job to save everyone, Harry," Lily Potter interjected kindly. "You need to stop feeling guilty. If you need to blame someone, blame Voldemort, blame the Death Eaters, blame all the adults who were content to ignore the threat in front of their face, or the hundreds who let Voldemort and his Death Eaters gain power in the first place. Don't ever blame yourself though. You saved **so** many people, but you can't expect to save everyone. It's not healthy and you shouldn't make yourself carry that weight."

Harry felt like he was simultaneously collapsing in on himself and floating from the weight that was just lifted off of him. Sobs wracked his body that he couldn't tell whether they were more relief or grief. Part of him didn't want to let go of the responsibility he felt and the other part knew he needed to listen to his family. He resolved to at least try to let go of the responsibility he felt, though he wasn't really sure where to begin.

Above him Remus and Tonks looked at each other and nodded and motioned with their eyes from the other adults to the table across the room. Taking Teddy with them, Lily, James, and Sirius all went to sit at the table and began to quietly talk amongst themselves about the similarities between baby Teddy and Harry when he was that age. Tonks moved to Remus' side and took his hand, squeezing it to comfort him in what still needed to happen.

When Harry's shuddering sobs had begun to quiet, Remus squeezed Tonks' hand back before letting go. Remus grabbed one of Harry's hands before pulling the young man to his feet and into a tight hug. Hugging him as tight as he could, Remus tried his best to not tear up himself at how badly he wished this hug wasn't such a rarity. If things had played out differently, this would have been another hug in hundreds, thousands even, instead of one of less than a handful. Squeezing tighter at the thought of what could have been, Remus tried to condense the love and support from those thousands of missed hugs into this hug, the most important and last hug he'd ever give him. He only prayed that Harry understood what he meant; that the love and understanding and strength made it to him and gave him the strength to push ahead and past this.

Letting go of Harry, Remus pulled back until he was holding the boy at arms length while still gripping his shoulders firmly. "Now, what's this about you not going back to Hogwarts," Remus forced out, trying to inject some humor into his tone. "You're just lucky it's Dora and I asking. Your mother was determined to have this discussion with you, so you're welcome for saving you from that. It wouldn't have been pretty, you know."

"How can you ask me that?! I have to stay with Teddy! I can't leave him to go back to Hogwarts! It's not like it really matters anyway!" Harry halfway shouted, casting furtive glances over at the back of his mother's head.

The first response he received was a smack to the back of his head from Tonks, and the second was a quiet chuckle from Remus as Harry rubbed the now sore spot on the back of his head. "Now you listen here Harry James Potter! School is important! You wanted to be an auror and do some more good in this world, well you're going to need more practice. Practice you can get here at school! You've never had a normal year of school without He-Who-Was-Absolutely-Bloody-Nuts interfering and messing it up. You finally have a chance at that and you're wanting to just waltz away from it?! I don't think so! And you will not use my son as your excuse!" Tonks yelled, causing quiet laughter to break out at the table, though they continued to look anywhere but at Harry, Remus, and Tonks.

For a moment Harry looked at his trainers guiltily, before seeming to gather his second wind and looking back at the angry woman whose hair was turning the most violent shade of red he'd ever seen, even more so than when someone made the mistake of calling her Nymphadora! Gulping audibly, Harry continued his attempts to defend his decision. "Teddy's already lost most of his family; I can't let him lose any more! He's too young to understand me going back to school. What if he thinks I abandoned him too! Plus, Andromeda needs the help handling him and she doesn't have anyone else!"

Harry wasn't quite sure what to do when Tonks burst out laughing. He looked to Remus for some help but the werewolf was just shaking his head with a small smile curving his lips. "H-Harry," Tonks tried to speak through her giggles, only to again to succumb to her laughter. Harry was beginning to wonder if dying and coming back for any length of time had some sort of side effects…

Remus decided to step in as Harry was beginning to look at Dora like she had just escaped the Janus Thackery ward at St. Mungos. "Harry, do you really think Andromeda won't have any help with Teddy? Have you met Molly? The poor woman will be overrun with meals and letters "just checking in" on her and little Teddy within a week! As for thinking you "abandoned" him, Teddy isn't even two years old yet. He won't be particularly happy, but he'll adjust and you can visit on winter hols. In fact, I'm sure if you just ask Minerva, she'll be more than happy to arrange for you to visit him regularly, given all the circumstances. Now why don't you tell us what's really keeping you from going back?"

"I-I...H-How can I go back, Remus," Harry whispered after a long silence, "Everything is different now. The castle is...it's so wrong now. It's not home, not safe, anymore. All the people aren't here who should be. How am I ever supposed to look at this place again after everything, much less live in it for months on end?"

Gently Remus spoke, "Harry, don't you think that it was like that for me when I came back to teach here? Especially with you wandering the halls and Sirius having escaped? Every time I saw you walking through the hallways I thought about your mum and dad and how, I believed then, Sirius had gotten them killed. I know that, like me, Hogwarts was, and can be again, a home to you. You can't let Voldemort run you away from your home. So here's what you're going to do. You're going to gather up all your Gryffindor bravery, you're going to work out a schedule with Minerva to see Teddy while finishing your last year, and you're going to come back home. You're going to go to classes, play Quidditch, get in trouble because you're the son of a Marauder and Dark Lord or no Dark Lord it's inevitable, and you're going to move on. It won't be easy, I won't lie about that, but you can and will do it, and you won't be doing it alone. You'll have Hermione and Ron and Neville, Ginny, Luna, and the rest of the DA beside you. They're all facing similar problems and you'll need each other to get through this. And you WILL all get through this. There's nothing you kids can't do when you get together and put your minds to it. Have faith in yourself and in them, Harry. If you hold on to that and keep trying, you'll never fail."

"Enough with the heavy rubbish, Moony! Let the boy get some food before he joins us from starvation while you're running your mouth," Sirius yelled good naturedly with an exaggerated wink in Harry's direction.

Harry's laugh was only slightly watery in response. Remus shook his head in exasperation before looking at Harry in a "see what I have to deal with" way. Tonks burst out laughing and her hair turned bubblegum pink. She bumped Harry's shoulder playfully on her way over to the table where she picked up Teddy and began making cooing noises at him.

"Let's get over there before I have to hear Sirius whinge some more about how I'm hogging you to myself and how put upon he is. Bloody drama queen," Remus whispered to Harry.

"Oi, I heard that you tosser!" Sirius yelled in mock indignation.

"I meant you to. Now hush up and let's have dinner before you force us to suffer through more of your theatrics Padfoot," Remus shot back easily. Everyone laughed heartily at the affronted look on Sirius' face before he slumped in his chair with a pout when he realized nobody was going to defend him.

Sirius cheered up when James began to pass him the food, though he still muttered under his breath occasionally about "bloody werewolves" and "disrespect for godfathers", to the general merriment of the table. The adults passed Teddy around as they ate, though understandably Remus and Tonks held him the most. Everyone else told humorous stories of their childhoods, and Harry learned more about his family than he'd ever heard before or hoped to learn. He was in stitches more than once over stories of the Marauders' pranks and his mum's running commentary on them.

In short, Harry had only ever dreamed of experiencing the miracle he was now. Together he and Teddy were having a real family dinner! Tonks was playing with Teddy by changing her hair to every vibrant shade under the sun and watching her son copy her as his laughs of delight brought joy to everyone in the room.

Together they ate and played and talked as if they'd merely been on vacation and wanted to catch up and no one brought up what would happen when the meal ended. They simply cherished this moment of love and peace for all that it was worth.

 _A/N: Alright boys and girls, that's all I've got for now. Thanks for reading! I have to say that I loved writing the interactions between the Marauders SO much. Sirius is just a delight, though he definitely knows it. All that's really left is to say a big thanks to my sister Chastity and all my snakey friends who read this story through for me, listened to my whining, and helped with grammar and all that whatnot you can't be bothered to pay attention to when a plot bunny is dragging you down a rabbit hole. I love you all and I wouldn't have made it this far without you!_


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